Welcome to the April 2005 BLOG. Didn't see the end of last month?
Click here: March 05 BLOG

Apr. 30, 2005 Sat

Well. These are some interesting entries?

Apr. 29, 2005 Fri

Our good friend Dave, putzing in the garage. Is that a mock up of a Porsche?

Apr. 28, 2005 Thu

Linda (Ann's sister) and John are in town! Drove across the country, yet once again. They will be here for a few days.

My brother, John, is heading across the big water, another stint for his news company - maybe a couple months. John wants to be where the news is happening, so he's off to Afghanistan. Caroline has our sympathies.

The vet gave me a comb, to use on the cats, to see if they have fleas. They've been scratching their cat brain's out, mostly around 4 or 5 AM, when we would love to be asleep. We kick them out of the bedroom, when this occurs. Which is a fine cure for the scratching problem, and one which lasts for at least thirty minutes. Howsome ever, Roma (sister of Jasper, and one of two cats), is the problem. She has learned about the 'squeaky wheel' syndrome. Once she's done scratching, and wants to come back to bed, and finds that the bedroom door is closed to her wee cat entrance - she begins.

She meows. Loudly.

Siamese cats, can meow, very, loudly.

It sounds like someone might be throttling a small infant, nearby.

The only recourse has been to let her back into the bedroom. At least that way, we get another hour or so of sleep.

So, what's going on here? We've been giving them (10 dollar a pill) flea meds for months.

The comb. Reminds me of the same comb one might use if one suspects their child has lice. Very fine teeth.

In this (cat) case, it is not to find nits. It's to find (pardon) shits.

Yes. Flea poops. The fine toothed comb is to detect flea droppings.

Lord help us, now.

For the vet isn't sure why they're scratching, either. But. I am. They have fleas.

It works like this: The pills make the fleas sterile. They still bite, and lay eggs, etc. But future generations die out. They mate, but unsuccessfully, in terms of flea progeny. Sterile fleas. Finally - no more fleas!

Unless! Unless one of your animals has access to a fresh batch of fleas. This would be: Chico.

Apparently, the back yard is (might be? Could be? Where DO they come from?) rife with fleas. How could this be? We have no idea. Talk to me after a week or so of flea poop combing.

Chico has been on the flea pills, too. At least on Chico, we can actually SEE fleas walking about, when they feel lively. This is due to Chico having very short hair. And, Chico is subject to the occasional 'flea bath'. Cats do not easily succumb to bathing, in their adult state. Even with no front claws.

Thus, flea poop scooping, to know for sure. Geez, we love this.

As if this isn't enough fun/expense for one week, Ann discovers that Chico needs to go to the dogggie dentist. Yup.

Apr. 26, 2005 Tue

Took a walk this morning. This is a good thing. We (I) don't do enough of that exercise stuff. Ann is much, much better at it. She's out there as we speak, (in the late afternoon) lugging cement from here to there. Fortunately, sometimes she drags me along, in her determination to stay fit. Walks with Ann, are the best.

However, this morning, it was to pick up Saab, and Ann was at work. I took the uphill, or back route. Tried to come down on the place from above. We actually walked about four blocks too far, before heading down to the main drag, where the mechanic is located. This is a good thing. We resisted the donut shop, across the street.

There was no progress, in terms of what's ailing Saab.

There was also no charge, which was nice of them. They know I'll be back. . .

The dang thing wouldn't fail, while they had it. They suggested that the next time it did fail to start, they'd come out to the house and check it 'in situ', as it were. Ok, fine.

This left the bulk of the day to enjoy riding around with the top down. Mow the front lawn. AFTER sharpening the mower blade. Somewhat time consuming, that, in itself. Except - since we now have a 'rough' wheel and a 'fine' wheel, one wondered why it takes so long? Well, it needn't.

Merely doing the rough part with a tad more determination, speeded things up by a factor of about three. The wheel will take quite a bit more pressure than I'd realized. (Wear safety goggles).

Therefore delivering a newly sharpened blade in next to no time. I'd been too timid, in that process.

My whole grinder set up is antique, at least forty years old. An old (very old) washing machine motor hooked up to a grindstone.

Well, now two grindstones. This has taken a toll on the overall RPM's. Also, no safety shields, etc.

How things change. We were so happy to come by this thing, those long years ago. And, that feeling is hard to let go. It worked then, it works now. It really should be spinning about three times faster than it does. Oh, well. I should be going a tad faster, too.

Apr. 24, 2005 Sun

It comes to our attention that we have let picture file sizes creep upwards yet again. We apologize. Time permitting, we will crank them back down. We have been trying to keep all pictures around 800 X 600 and under 100 KB's.

Whoa! Yet another sunny warm day. This will no doubt translate to additional yard time. All the neighbors are out there now, weeding and digging like there's no tomorrow.

With the house full of folks getting haircuts yesterday (thank you Fae!) I was actually motivated (shamed?) into a bit of that sledge hammer (outdoor/yardtype) work, myself. We hope that's the end of THAT.

The idea here, again, is to eliminate having to traverse 'steps' to get out the back gate. I.e. make a ramp. This entails first removing the old walk at a point that will allow the ramp to have a moderate slope. We scored the concrete where we hoped it would break, and it almost worked. We would have had to excavate ALL the dirt from underneath to actually get it to 'snap' at the score line. Much too much laziness about for that to happen. Although, I was considering it and had actually begun, when I found this odd piece of metal something down there. . .

That iron pipe, buried next to the concrete (that we are digging up and crashing with the sledge) - is the gas line. We are fortunate that the earth in these parts is so full of rocks; it makes shoveling a process of: small bites at a time. Therefore, by a major stroke of good fortune, we didn't break the pipe - and then have to call the gas company, evacuate the neighborhood, etc. We are reminded that before digging about one's property, it is recommended that one first call the utilities, and they will come out and mark the routes of the various pipes and wires. This does make a certain amount of sense. Sense is good, but luck and a certain amount of going slow, never hurts.

While this is going on, Ann continues to move cement chunks from this side of the yard. . .

To this side. We hope to eventually make them into a floor for the shed addition.

In fact, we are going to test that method on the ramp. Shown here formed up for the second time.  This time around, makes far more sense. No slim/tiny edges.

As soon as these odd pieces of concrete are leveled and stabilized in sand, we might pour cement around them and call it a ramp.

Ann is standing on all the dirt that was re-moved (moved) to add the addition (shown) that is our master bath. The concrete that was broken up at the time (old patio) was used to support an earth hill, next to the house. Now, we are trying to gentle out the hill as well as remove a significant portion of it to make possible walking directly to the gate. This area was fenced in  last summer.

Cass was finally coerced into taking some of his boxes that he had been storing in the shed. He now has room for them. That shed, is one crowded place.

Brother Brett finally succumbs to the pressure to send along a picture. Thanks!

Apr. 23, 2005 Sat

Ann, being a coffee aficionado,  has figured out a way to roast her own beans. It involves using an old hot air popcorn popper, beans purchased over the internet, and is STILL cheaper than Starbucks. I was too slow (as usual) to get pictures, this morning. By the time I got up, Ann had walked the dog, had coffee with her chums, and was making a poached egg.

We are enjoying near record temps. 70's yesterday and again today. This is fortuitous, since I am on two wheels. No word, yet, on the Saab.

Both Eric  and Adam  have added to their webpages. I discovered this the old fashioned way, by visiting them. You can, too! Merely by clicking on these handy links!

Ann is hard at work moving rocks in the backyard. I am moved to do something.

Now, whom might this report card belong to? Let's see, all A's and B+'s? Dang?

Apr. 21, 2005 Thu

We have this understanding with the mechanic. He doesn't have to rush, and we don't bug him. He puts his guys on it when he can, unless otherwise specified. Therefore, no results today. So, either he never even got around to looking at it (a distinct possibility) or, the problem is not lending itself to an easy, fast solution. This second proposition seems the more likely.

Sometime tomorrow it would be within the parameters of our understanding for me to either drop in or call.

This will be big fun. I really miss the Saab.

Apr. 20 2005 Fri

Yup. That's the Saab on the battery charger, yet again.

Dang. As if the girls didn't already consider the poor Saab as being a UPS.

You are familiar with the term? Useless piece of. . .

Just because it failed them ONE time, right here in town, and has had this 'no battery' problem for about a year. Something is causing the electrical system to discharge the battery overnight. Not always. No. But sometimes, and more often, recently.

It's going in the shop. That's it.

One might have reason to feel that a ten year old Saab should/ought to run as well/reliably as a twenty five year old Honda?

The scooter been remarkably reliable. It cost six hundred dollars. The Saab cost over ten times that. Of course, over the two years we've owned it (the scooter), we've put about twelve hundred into it, to have that reliability. That's allowing around fifty dollars a month for general maintenance and upkeep, AND insurance. That figure is coming down, now that we can just 'drive it'.

We allow a hundred a month, for our other used vehicles. Sometimes we come out ahead? Sure beats a three or four hundred dollar a month car payment? Ok, even those are coming down. Maybe someone will explain to me why anyone would lease? I wish KIA or Subaru made a convertible.

But, really, only brand new 'out of the factory' vehicles are maintenance free. And only then, sometimes. OK. Usually. Reliability is way up, these days - thanks to the Japanese vehicles of the 70's and 80's, that finally opened the eyes of the American big four. Which is now the American big two. Thank you very much.

We really enjoyed reading 'The United States of Europe', by Reid. Talk about a 'wake up' call!

Apr. 18 2005 Mon

We seemed to have the camera set to aperture priority all day. Oh well. Out and about was good. Very nice day, in the sixties.


This is that new craft, at the end of Commercial. You will note that the shipyard is tacking on the rear of the boat, at last.
Get it?

Ha Ha! A new ending.

Apr. 17, 2005 Sun

Our photo stitching program is so old (and free) that it doesn't seem to want to run in XP. So, we are trying out a possible replacement. The 'test' version is free, but has their logo stuck in it here and there. Without reading all the instructions we just cranked out the following two samples. The first is of the front guestroom/office. Showing both my desk, and Ann's. Yes, it's true - you can't swing a cat in here.

The view of the living room dining room area showing Evie at her 'workstation'. Headphones on, she is oblivious to all, unless she hears her name mentioned, of course.

Here's a wonderful thing: the three home computers are finally networked. What does this mean? It means that Ann (or any of us) may print from any computer to the printer hooked up to the laptop, for one. Although this computer also has a printer, it's an older model ink jet. The other printer is a 'photo quality' laser.

As of yesterday we were still taking anything that she wanted printed and putting it on some portable media. Then, physically carrying it to the other computer for printing. This gets old if one has a lot of printing to do. Much uploading and downloading, to either a CD or one of the so called 'thumb' drives - small flash memory devices.

We were aware that using a wireless router meant that documents and files could be 'shared' from machine to machine. At least, in theory. Several previous attempts to get this home network set up had ended in failure. What made it work this time? Having the same operating system (XP) on all three computers certainly helped. That plus the experience gained from the previous attempts. Each time we got a little farther, so to speak. Now we can share files and documents from computer to computer with the push (click!) of a button.

Speaking of getting a little farther - we made some progress with the back gate ramp. After forming it up several weeks ago, the weather, the schedule, and rethinking things all combined to keep it this project on hold. Next step: break up some concrete. Today we dismantled the forms, and dug under the concrete that must be removed, prior to breaking it up with a sledge hammer. Otherwise the ramp would have extended over the edge of the existing walkway, and ended in a small tapered lip. Which would have eventually cracked and broken away. Doing it this way will allow the new ramp to be four inches thick from top to bottom, where it will meet the existing walk.

Apr. 16, 2005 Sat

A quiet day on the island. Grey and rainy most of the time, until suddenly - it became sunny and pleasant about three in the afternoon. This got us into the backyard to repair the wheel barrow, do some hen maintenance, and say hello to the weeds. Actually, goodbye to the weeds, thank goodness. The year old spray seems to be working.

The front wheel got twisted and came out of it's brackets. We're not sure why this happened, but Ann admits to having had it full of rocks at the time. Clamping said bracket in the vice and tapping lightly with the hammer got them back to a state we might think of as, 'crooked but serviceable'. We also sent the tire pressure from 5 back up to the recommended thirty pounds.

All three hens are laying again. This came as such a surprise, due the fact that for most of the winter, they weren't. The occasional somewhat sporadic egg here and then (now and there?) - but we were reduced to buying our eggs at the market like everybody else. None of them are 'spring chickens' any longer, and we thought that perhaps their laying days were over? This presented the next problem - what to do with three hens that just eat and make a huge mess, but have names?

Can't eat 'em, they're too old for that, and they have names. Last year they lay during all four seasons. The problem started when we added the third hen. That act threw the pecking order into chaos, and apparently it took them this long to figure it out again. It boils down to the fact that two hens can share one laying box OK, after they work things out - but three should really have two boxes.

Of course, if they become confused or upset, the first thing they do is quit laying. Adding the third hen served to confuse them pretty well. The two that already thought of our hen house as home had an immediate advantage, and I'm a bit surprised the new hen survived with both her eye balls intact. The other two would jump on her and try to peck her head off. During this adjustment period we would let them out of the hen house to run around the back yard. That seemed to help. But it doesn't help the new plants that start coming up in the spring. New plants = tender chicken foliage. Back to lockdown.

Somehow they survived this period of who's on top? Gradually, an egg or two started showing up in the laying box. And one on the straw floor. Finally, all three are laying in the box. This is a good thing, as the laying box is set up for easy egg removal from inside the shed.

Apr. 14, 2005 Thu

Happy Birthday to Jean Winston - Hi Mom!

Mom, 81 this year, continues in assisted living in AZ. This has now been her situation for several years. Her brother says they notice she is in a gradual decline. Alzheimers. We still chat on the phone.

All computer work caught up, for the moment. Getting the old Pent II running solid and re installed across the street was the last hurdle. It had picked up a 'boot loop' that was restarting it during the 'Welcome' stage, which was a pain. Since this problem occurred during an installation/upgrade to and of microsoft products, we were able to get 'free' help from their hotline. If you call wasting several hours over two days 'free'. Each 'tech' (some of which are understandable, some not) runs one thru his or her list of scenarios, and then passes you along to the next guy up the line, who has a new list of things to try. None of them are really skilled technical representatives. We can't imagine how long it might take to actually get somebody that knows anything on the phone.

Slogging along in 'safe' mode (on our own) and trying this and that - we finally did something right and it's been OK since. The moral? As always, don't give up in the face of repeated failure. Knock on that next door.

Dad (also in assisted living as of last year) and I were discussing just that today. He had noted that failure was becoming harder and harder to accept. It's getting more difficult for him to operate his 'stuff', whether it's the typewriter, computer, stereo, etc. To keep knocking on those doors (to continue with the traveling salesman analogy) after one or two instances of 'no sale' is about all that he finds he can handle. He gives up.

I know what he means. It starts to seem like one is never going to knock on the one door that brings a smile and a 'sale'. It was certainly like that in re: fixing the PII. That was many dozens of 'no sales' before we came upon the right door.

We've felt all along that working on computers wasn't for anyone that couldn't handle a lot of failure. But what Dad is suggesting, is that as one ages, trying to live life itself becomes a lot of instances of failure. Keeping a positive attitude about having faith in one's eventual ability to succeed becomes increasingly difficult. Fortunately, the feelings of happiness and self amazement and pride that go along with finally succeeding can still make it all seem worthwhile. One must merely be satisfied with smaller achievements, sometimes. Dad was pretty tickled with himself for thinking of using a magnifying glass to read some instructions today.

Apr. 12, 2005 Tue

ADAM is BACK! 
Adam has decided to run his own website, doing all the HTML himself!

We spent quite awhile, yesterday, on the phone with Microsoft. This was the usual BIG FUN.

One useful piece of information did come to light. This is regarding spyware, malware, adware, etc. Here is the gist of it:

Use the Anti Spyware programs. Update the programs every two or three days, then disconnect (this was news to us) the computer from the web & run the Ad-aware program first. Delete the objects found - if the program finds more than 10 objects, run ad-aware again. Once the ad-aware is completed, close the Ad-aware program and Open/Run the Spybot Program.  Run the Spybot repeatedly if it detects more than 6 objects. Again, with the computer disconnected from the internet. Why in the disconnected state, do you ask? Because these clever devils have designed their malware so that as soon as you run anti malware programs, IF your computer is online NEW versions of the same stuff you are trying to get rid of are downloaded to your machine.

To avoid this vicious circle, run the detection programs while disconnected. For broadband users, this means actually pulling the cable from your computer, or, turning 'OFF' the modem. A lot of modems do not even have on and off switches! One must unplug them.

Happy computing. Be careful out there -

FUN at Wildwood 
Which is TJ's fine website, that documents the progress.

Apr. 10, 2005 Sun

Here's something that might actually be useful. A way to sign up for the Nat'l 'Do Not Call' registry.
Thanks to the Grouchy one!

"Cell telemarket - Hello friends, thought this might be of interest to you as well ...
JUST A QUICK IMPORTANT REMINDER...
In a few weeks (31 Days), cell phone numbers are being released to telemarketing companies and you will start to receive sales calls. You will be charged for these calls.
Call this number from your cell phone:   888-382-1222.
It is the national DO NOT CALL list. It only takes a minute of your time. It blocks your number for five (5) years. Please pass this on to everyone you know who doesn't want to be hassled.
Or you can go to
Do not Call List  http://www.donotcall.gov and do it on-line."

Thanks, again, to the Grouchy One!

I did some over the phone, and the rest online. It's so easy. What do you think?

Ann decided to take out the blue 'ballet' bars that had been gracing our patio. Dang. They are so heavy! We finally got them cut up and into the alley. This is in addition to her 'rock wall' project.

The rock retainer wall is nearly completed!

the backyard without the bars - so open, now!

So happy - the work is nearly over for today. . .

Apr. 09, 2005 Sat

Lotsa' yard work. Ann is building a rock retaining wall next to the house. As you might observe, the earth berm was gradually eroding into the yard.

Ann carried each of these rocks by hand - some after digging them up!

Capt. Bob's computer, which would be my old Pent II - in its reformatted and running XP configuration.

Here is Capt Bob's computer puking out the failed 'A' drive.

Jasper the cat. Sitting on the table, which makes Ann bonkers. So, she bought that small device you see next to the cat. It sounds a shrieking alarm whenever a cat jumps on the table. Jasper has learned to wait it out, and then walk softly. Chico hates the noise, and runs and hides whenever it goes off. Roma (the other cat) shows a more proper respect for Ann's investment and stays off the table. A fifty percent success rate.

Apr. 08, 2005 Fri

Brett sends along pictures of Hogan at the Fair!

Over the Mountain to Leavenworth! Click the picture. . .

A trip to Leavenworth. 

Excitement! Fun. Shopping! Click the picture!

We returned Wednesday and don't know how it got to be Friday, already? But the back grass is mowed. And another computer is in pieces on the desk. This would be our old Pent II, now doing fine service for our neighbor, Capt. Bob. He let me use his Win XP software in exchange for tweaking the old PII, in hopes that it might also run XP. It might.

Apr. 03, 2005 Sun

Ambie sends along pictures of Max and Malcom.

Did'ja all set your clocks ahead one hour?

While visiting at Dick's we had a chance to view some of the pictures that Linda sent from their recent travels to Hawaii. Several members of the family were there last month, you may recall.

Linda takes such beautiful panorama scenery pictures. However, we've tried to limit what's here to those shots with family members. Also included are a few from their trip to Thailand, earlier last season.

Anna and her Mom, Barbara (By the way, Anna is now driving.)

Laura and Anna

Anna and Heidi - who took these pictures? How did Anna get in every one? :)))

The gang that went to Hawaii - minus John's sister Sandy, Heidi, and Linda - who must be the photographer.

Hawaii is a beautiful place. We have been saving to go there!

Some pictures from Thailand, thanks to Linda!

Grand Banks boats  are made in Thailand, you see.

Apr. 02, 2005 Sat

Happy April. Is it spring yet?

Mike and Mary never made it into the Easter pictures together - but here they are:

Nearly impossible to get five people to hold still and smile at one time! Pity the poor photographer.

It's been computer mania around here. We've reformatted every computer in sight, and now we're starting on one across the street. What a difference it makes on a machine that's a few years old. They just get clogged with junk. Not even junk you can easily get at to remove.

Reformatting (or in some cases, recovering) means one must first save all one's files and documents to someplace off the computer. Onto CD's, or other media. We used the external 'back up' hard drive. Reformatting removes everything from the hard drive, even the operating system. So, one must have a copy of some operating system in hand to install, at that point. All programs will have to be re installed, as well. Time consuming, but well worth the improvement in performance.

It is amazing how fast your computer runs afterwards. So, if your hard drive is getting to where it's mostly FULL and your machine is a few years old - back up those files and start fresh.